Layers of Meaning

Another small Casein on copper painting.  The background is an antique leather book cover 6″x9″

Casein is milk based pigment and has the incredible property of being able to stick to most anything, allowing me to paint on copper (8″x8″):

Oil on canvas

Nectarine and Jelly Beans watercolor 10" x 14"

me:  I’ve just finished a new painting.

hubby: Wow!  It’s colorful.     -  long pause  -    Are those chili peppers?

me:  No, jelly beans.

hubby: Oh   -  long pause  -  maybe there’s an issue with the scale.   -  long pause  -  nice.    -  long pause  -  nice.

Todi - Watercolor 10" x 14"

Some things that I like to reflect on: postcards from Italy and cups of espresso.

Gardenia, watercolor 8"x10"

In the south, the gardenia is a joy of early summer.  I have two just outside of the front door.  One bloomed in early June and the other bloomed just last week, in spite of the heat!  In the painting I was trying to work larger and looser, experimenting with less controlled washes.

7" x7" watercolor

Our front walk has huge clumps of hellebores (Lenten Roses) that start blooming in late February and keep up until late April.  When things are still cold and a bit grim, they are among the first flowers.  I did this painting from a photo that I took last winter.  I wanted to experiment with the contrast between the bare paper and the paint.  The white of this flower seemed like a good subject for this study.

5" x 7" watercolor

This is a study for a larger painting that I am working on.  The original postcard is of a the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione in Todi, Italy.  Todi is the the rolling hills of Umbria.  The  church sits like a little magical jewel nestled into the hillside.

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I’m sure most of the pastel artist have already heard about the new book Painting Light and Shadow with Pastels by Maggie Price. Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all recipe for painting light, this book shows you how to capture the particular ambient qualities of any scene before you, be it a gloriously clear morning, a rainy afternoon, or the joyful dance of sunlight on water. Master pastelist Maggie Price, together with five contributing artists, explores different styles, approaches and subjects, including landscapes, water scenes and people.

8" x 8" watercolor

I’m been experimenting with different papers.  This is a hot press watercolor paper, which means that the finish is very smooth.  The paint has little place to nest.  It gets muddy and thick quickly.  But it can also be lifted off . leaving a stain-effect behind.  You can see the stain-effects clearly in the background.  The total effect is a softness that looks almost more like a print than a painting.

4" x 6" watercolor

The marbles are from an antique show that we saw with some dear friends from Baltimore,  Marvin and Leslie.  I have been playing around with them, trying to find the perfect setting.  I love the colors.  Here  the marbles are sitting in an antique ink-well style jar, on a 1930s textile.  The saucer is blue willow ware.  I was working on reflections in the glass, which is the challenge in this week’s Daily Paintworks challenge.

5" x 6.5" watercolor

I’ve been painting a lot lately, but not photographing and posting.  I had a photography frenzy this afternoon and I’ll be posting for the next few days.  This is the oldest: Clementines, done in watercolor.